By Megan Murdock Krischke, contributor Jun 13, 2019
Becoming a locum tenens candidate is an exciting time,
with new workplaces, cities and lifestyle options to consider. Whether you
choose to travel or stay close to home, locum tenens jobs can provide new professional experiences, extra pay and more
control over your schedule, including full-time and part-time options.
But before your locum adventure can begin there is ...
paperwork. And lots of it. Sigh.
Not to worry. Your locum tenens agency’s credentialing
team can work with you to make the credentialing process as painless as
possible.
“Once a provider and a facility client decide to work
together—what we call a placement—that’s where my team gets involved,” said
Jeannece Waldrop, senior process owner for credentialing operations at Staff
Care, a leading locum
staffing agency.
“We are the liaison between the work site or
facility and the provider to get all the locum tenens
credentialing information in order,"
Waldrop explained. We facilitate the process of
getting privileges for hospital settings by becoming experts on the
requirements and process and helping our providers through each step. We
even pre-fill the applications so that providers can just review it and
sign.”
Some applications can be up to 150 pages, which can be
overwhelming for anyone who hasn’t worked in locum tenens before. Having a
credentialing team that handles these things plus runs background checks, gets
certifications on file, and ensures that all state and federal regulations are
being met can make all the difference.
The facilities also benefit from these services, as the
locum agency’s team can help them make contact with the right people for
gaining primary source validations.
In fact, all parties benefit from the credentialing process. Waldrop’s team has seen that when
a locum tenens agency consistently provides quality candidates that provide
excellent patient care, it creates a high level of trust with facility clients.
These relationships then lead to more job opportunities for their locum
candidates.
Standard documents needed for locum tenens credentialing
The exact list of required documents will vary based on
the position, the provider and the setting, but a locum tenens candidate can
expect to provide copies of:
Current resume or CV
Active state license certificates
Controlled substance registrations
Diplomas
Post-graduate certifications
Life-support certifications
Immunization records
Certificate of insurance (malpractice insurance is usually provided by the locum agency)
Recent case/procedure logs
“The privileges the provider is seeking will determine some
of the additional requirements,” said Waldrop. “If they need to administer
moderate sedation or are working with pediatric patients, for instance, they
will have to have certain certifications.”
Providers should also
expect to provide names and current
contact details for at least three references, two of which should be from
clinicians within their specialty.
When new state medical licenses are needed Candidates applying for
locums work in a state where they don’t currently hold a license can get help with
their
medical licensing, as well,
and the licensure fees are often paid
by the locum agency.
“We have a team
within our credentialing department that assists providers in getting a license
issued when that is needed for a placement,” explained Waldrop. “While the
credentialing analyst works with the provider to get everything else completed,
the licensing coordinator may be working with the provider and the state boards
to obtain the necessary licensure to practice.”
Streamlining the documentation process “The credentialing process that’s necessary for providers
to work in a new location can seem difficult, but our staff is here to take
that burden off their shoulders,” Waldrop explained. “We will speak with a locum tenens candidate to cover what the
credentialing team does, and then help them through the entire process. We also
explain the benefits of using the company's online candidate portal for
submitting information.”
The
My Staff Care Candidate Portal can be accessed via the company’s website. It offers a
high security environment for transmitting sensitive documents and allows each
provider to track the progress of his or her applications and credentialing.
Launched in 2018, the portal is helping to improve efficiencies and speed up
the documentation process.
“Each provider creates their own account and can log in
to see all the requirements that their placement site has so they can upload
those certifications into the system. It also allows them to see real-time
progress on their file, it notifies them of any documents that will expire soon
and what is still needed to complete the process,” Waldrop explained.
“With the portal, there is no danger of sensitive
documents being lost in the mail or somehow intercepted through email,” she
continued. The
candidate portal also allows the Staff Care team to safely send things to the
provider, such as pre-filled applications that need their signature.
How long does locum tenens credentialing take? In a hospital setting that requires privileges, the locum
tenens credentialing process can take anywhere from 30 days to six months, with
60-120 days being most typical, according to Waldrop. Some hospitals have emergency
privileging which can allow a provider to start before the full process is
complete.
Getting approval to work a locum tenens assignment at a
clinic is a simpler process that focuses on verifying the provider’s identity
and ensuring that the right certifications and controlled substance
registrations are in place; this process can often be completed within a couple
of weeks.
Providers can help the process move more quickly by
responding as soon as they are able to any questions or requests that the
credentialing team sends.
“We understand that many of our providers are working in
full-time positions while pursuing locum tenens jobs, so it can sometimes be a
challenge to get back to us right away,” Waldrop commented. “On our end, we try
to keep the providers engaged and up to date on how the credentialing process
is progressing.”
Related:
Medical
Licensure and Malpractice Insurance for Locum Candidates FAQs: Frequently
Asked Questions About Locum Tenens Jobs 10
Things I Wish I Had Known as a New Locum Tenens Provider STAFF CARE matches physicians and advanced practitioners with locum tenens assignments
across the country, providing expert guidance throughout the placement process.
Find out why we’ve been named
Best
of Staffing for six years
running!
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